Mintimer Shaimiev meets with Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu

On October 3 Tatarstan State Counsellor Mintimer Shaimiev met with Secretary General of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, who is taking part in the International economic summit of Russia and OIC countries Kazansummit 2013, in Kazan Kremlin. At the beginning of the meeting Mintimer Shaimiev noted: “We are always grateful to Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu that he, being head of powerful international organization, OIC, drew his attention to Tatarstan in important period of our development and opened the door to Muslim world for us. This significant event has become part of the contemporary history of our republic.”

He also thanked OIC Secretary General for long-term successful cooperation and expressed his hope for further development of friendly and business relations.

To the point, in 2005 OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu took part in the opening ceremony of Kul Shariv Mosque. In October 2010, when headed IRCICA, he took part in presentation of the English edition “Tatar history and civilization” book, which was published by his initiative. After the presentation he also visited the ancient town of Bolgar. In June last year he was the honoured guest of the 3rd All-Russia forum of Tatar religious figures “National Identity and Religion”.

During the meeting Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu thanked Mintimer Shaimiev for his sincere, kind words and noted that he is proud that he had the luck to take a closer look at Tatar people, their traditions and customs. “My term of office as OIC Secretary General expires in three months, but I will help my successor at his request and continue working in OIC. We can also continue our cooperation through IRCICA and other organizations, which I am heading, Islamic foundation and Turkish science development organization ,” he said.

Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu presented his book “The Islamic World in the New Century. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation” translated into the Russian language to Mintimer Shaimiev.

Advisor to OIC Secretary General on Economics Nadji Djabbar, Deputy Chairman of Tatarstan State Council Rimma Ratnikova, Aide to Tatarstan President on Foreign Affairs Radik Gimatdinov and other officials took part in the meeting.